ABOUT ME
I’ve spent the last 20 years working alongside some of the most innovative leaders in wellbeing economics, behaviour change communications, sustainability strategy and activism, social entrepreneurship, urban placemaking, impact investing and purpose-led growth models. As a result,
I bring a uniquely broad view of the inputs and drivers to being an impactful 21st century organisation.
My experience builds on an academic foundation including an undergrad in Finance and Economics (USC, Los Angeles) and a social-responsibility-focussed MBA (ESADE, Barcelona).
My skillset has crystallised around a combination of MBA-based disciplines and processes with more flexible, entrepreneurial frameworks informed by Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, and others seeking to bring meaning and authenticity into the workplace. I’ve honed my approach through the varied and exciting roles I’ve held in-house or in partnership with leading changemakers and brands.
Some of the organizations I’ve worked with
My Values
Work with alacrity
I love bringing my ear, energy and ideas to leaders and teams. I base my relationships with clients and partners in humanity, knowing their goals and needs and also laughing together. The work I do gives me lots of energy and I am always willing to share it.
Start with Why
I literally cannot proceed without knowing the point of what we’re trying to do. If a clear mission or purpose is not already clear, I like working with people and organisations to discover and articulate their North Star. My work always asks Why first, and focusses on delivering to this main mission.
KPIs MUST be JPIs
While at Futerra, I was introduced to the idea of translating KPIs (key performance indicators) into JPIs – establishing clear business objectives across JOY (people satisfaction/L&D), PROFIT (financial sustainability) and IMPACT (value to customers and society). There is simply no excuse for not striving for balance across these areas.
Put it into Practice
I’m most motivated by work that I can see put into practice. I like tangible outcomes – I want to see those company values we worked on together hung on your wall, used in your meetings. My advisory and work sessions are oriented toward achieving specific objectives and moving an issue, opportunity, or team forward.
Key Principles Informing My Work
Make what matters count.
We are often measuring – and therefore striving for – the wrong things. Our ever-degrading environmental and political contexts – exacerbated by COVID – have meant the time has come for a ‘wellbeing economics’ approach which replace pure financial growth driven aims to put people, place and planet at the heart.
As Head of Business Development and then COO of Centre for Thriving Places (and facilitating the name change from Happy City), I’ve worked alongside the small charity’s visionary Chief Exec Liz Zeidler to navigate a rapidly changing context during COVID. I have supported delivery of wellbeing economics research, data, measurement tools and approaches (like the Happiness Pulse wellbeing measurement survey and the Thriving Places Index).
Make change fun.
Within People’s core value of ‘make change fun’ felt revelatory to me. It gives permission – and in fact calls for – bringing authenticity to each interaction, workshop and strategy. Humour, lightness and humanity are all part of making change happen – and fun.
As Partner at Within People, I worked on developing a robust and purpose-focussed partnership business model, and supported clients to develop brand frameworks and business strategies by articulating clear expressions of purpose, values and proposition (WHY-HOW-WHAT). We made it fun with impeccably planned sessions, beautiful design, sharp thinking, a good dose of humour and of course, great snacks.
Start with the Why.
After a decade of working with it, Simon Sinek’s Golden Circles framework still serves as a powerful, flexible and foundational lens through which to guide culture and decisionmaking for organisations of all sizes. Simon Sinek’s TED talk does a great job of describing the Golden Circles.
In ‘Head of’ roles and as a consultant to many small and medium-sized businesses, starting with ‘Why’ always guides my work – in building and supporting strong and joyful cultures, organisational financial sustainability, and in delivering impact within organisations, communities and places.
Make it so desirable it becomes normal.
Futerra’s founding purpose ‘to make sustainability so desirable it becomes normal’ articulates a hugely important principle in bringing about change. It speaks to getting at the heart of connection and relevance to our audiences. Make it sexy, make it clear, sell the sizzle, love not loss.
Moving from a consulting role working directly with founder Solitaire Townsend, and then taking Futerra’s newly created Head of Client Services position, I led our Account team to support some of the world’s most influential companies (Danone, Kingfisher, Hammerson, London 2012) to create big visions of a sustainable future and share with their customers and communities.
Raise your hand.
For all kinds of reasons, it can be difficult to speak up. However, our current context means it’s important to be visible, in ways that matter. At this point in my career, I bring a lot of experience across some of the key challenges of our day – wellbeing economics, purpose-led culture and business, sustainable business strategy and communications. In many ways, this combination of experiences, underpinned by my formal business education, is unique and it’s up to me to put it to good use.
While doing my MBA at ESADE, I was often the sole raised hand in the room, asking the Corporate Finance Professor about the sustainability impacts of various approaches discussed in the classroom. I was usually dismissed, told to put my hand down. However, my classmates – representing 17 different countries – heard my questions (week after week, in class after class). At graduation, my classmates chose me to give the class speech at graduation, held in early 2009, during a time of deep economic upheaval and uncertainty. They chose the sustainability lady!
Business and the creative sector have the power to build movements.
Effect Partners’ core belief that business could be a positive force for change was transformational for me. Effect (then known as MusicMatters) brought together visionary business leaders and pop culture icons to work together to deliver breakthrough messaging and business models to catalyse change.
My first global warming campaign at MusicMatters was in the same year then-President George W. Bush said “global warming does not exist”. Aside from this message’s danger to our planet, it posed challenges in spurring staid corporates and the mass public to action. At MusicMatters, I worked with activist bands and brands (Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, U2, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson) to build big messages raising awareness of climate change and calling for sustainable business. We delivered first-of-their-kind fan activism platforms, sustainable touring strategies and events to connect citizens/fans/consumers to issues, organisations and companies doing good work.